“The audience of the 10 tour concerts has travelled around the world almost 1,200 times.” This is one of the results of the TICKET TO RIDE project. The initiative accompanied 10 of 13 concerts on the AnnenMayKantereit summer tour 2023 and analysed the emissions generated by the events. The result: 88 per cent of the tour’s emissions were caused by the audience travelling to and from the event. This is where the project by The Changency and Crowd Impact comes in.
Green events: reducing CO2 emissions
Ticket to ride AnnenMayKentereit in Hamburg Credit: Lenny Rothenberg
The event industry is facing a major challenge: the reduction of CO2 emissions, especially when travelling to and from events. The TICKET TO RIDE project, initiated by The Changency and Crowd Impact, impressively demonstrates how this can be achieved.
The initiators of TICKET TO RIDE have a clear vision: a more sustainable and fairer world through environmentally friendly mobility at major events. The aim of the project is to raise awareness of sustainable travel options and implement concrete measures to reduce CO2 emissions.
“The idea was born in the course of The Changency’s ‘Plant a SEEED’ project in summer 2022, in which we took a closer look at the environmental impact of major events at five concerts by the band Seeed. We noticed that almost 90% of the emissions from the shows were caused by the audience travelling to the event. We didn’t just want to accept this as a fact, we wanted to find out how these emissions could be reduced. That’s how TICKET TO RIDE came about.” Rosa Hoelger, Sustainability Manager at The Changency, Co-Project Manager TICKET TO RIDE
TICKET TO RIDE at the 2023 summer tour of AnnenMayKentereit
Ticket to ride with AnnenMayKentereit in Losheim am See
Credit: Lenny Rothenberg
Rosa Hoelger and her team realised the project during the 2023 summer tour of AnnenMayKantereit, a German pop-rock band from Cologne that was founded in 2011. The initiative looked at various issues, including how the audience travelled and how the journey could be made more sustainable with targeted measures.
“TICKET TO RIDE was present at 10 of 13 concerts on the tour, reaching 215,000 visitors. At all 10 concerts, we used the “Crowd Impact” mobility app to survey more than 5,000 fans about their journey – creating the best data set in Germany to date.” Rosa Hoelger, Sustainability Manager at The Changency, Co-Project Manager TICKET TO RIDE
Communication and action campaign reduces travel emissions
In addition to the survey by TICKET TO RIDE, a targeted campaign informed the public about environmentally friendly travel options. This was done via various channels, including mailouts, social media and websites. The campaign met with a positive response and motivated many visitors to use sustainable modes of transport.
- Public transport combi-tickets: In five cities, concertgoers were offered a free public transport ticket. This led to a significant increase in the use of public transport and made a major contribution to reducing CO2 emissions. Particularly well-connected cities such as Berlin recorded a high level of acceptance and use of this option.
- Safe bicycle parking spaces: The creation of safe and secure bicycle parking spaces in cities such as Hanover and Dresden motivated many visitors to travel by bike. This emphasises the importance of secure parking facilities for promoting sustainable mobility.
And the campaign has shown its first successes: “Among those reached, travel emissions were reduced by 19 per cent,” explains Rosa Hoelger, Sustainability Manager at The Changency, co-project manager of TICKET TO RIDE. “This shows once again how important and effective communication on this topic is.”
The results of the initiative once again emphasised what the previous “Plant A SEEED” study had already shown: mobility accounts for by far the largest share of the carbon footprint.
“88% of the tour’s emissions were caused by the audience travelling to and from the venue! The audience at the 10 tour concerts travelled around the world almost 1,200 times. This is where we need to start if we want to organise concerts more sustainably.” Rosa Hoelger, Sustainability Manager at The Changency, Co-Project Manager TICKET TO RIDE
Relevant results and figures for the AnnenMayKantereit summer tour 2023
- Audience: 215,000 visitors* at 10 concerts of the AnnenMayKantereit Summer Tour 2023
- Emissions: Travelling caused 88% of the total tour emissions. On average, 12.44 kg of CO2 were produced per person.
- Mobility behaviour: 52% used public transport, 7% travelled on foot or by bike, 40% by car (an average of 2.8 people per car).
Positive results at the round table and online
The Changency’s project was received positively across the board.
“When the band announced the project, there were more than 18,000 likes and almost 300 comments on Instagram. They were consistently positive about the project.” Rosa Hoelger, Sustainability Manager at The Changency, Co-Project Manager TICKET TO RIDE
In general, the initiative was very well received on social media. This was also demonstrated by a small fan campaign in Dresden, in which 1,000 engraved apples were given away as a thank you to fans who travelled to the event by bike or public transport. This campaign was then widely shared by fans on social media.
The project also sparked discussions outside of social media. “We then used the results to initiate a dialogue at a round table in March 2024 and discussed systemic levers, including with stakeholders such as Deutsche Bahn, BDKV, Eventim and Agora Verkehrswende,” says Rosa Hoelger. Since May, all the findings have been available free of charge at tickettoride.net.
Challenges and opportunities of sustainable mobility at events
TICKET TO RIDE impressively demonstrates how major events can become greener and more sustainable. However, the project also highlights the challenges that the industry will face in the future when implementing sustainable mobility concepts.
Communication as the key to environmentally friendly travel
Event organisers can create the framework conditions and incentives for environmentally friendly travel. However, the decision ultimately lies with the participants. “That’s why communication is a key lever,” says Rosa Hoelger. Regionality also has an influence on the emissions of events. This can be taken into account by organisers as early as the planning and booking stages.
“It’s much more environmentally friendly if bands travel to the fans and not the other way around.” Rosa Hoelger, Sustainability Manager at The Changency, Co-Project Manager TICKET TO RIDE
It is always more sustainable if artists don’t play several events at the same venue, but visit several – perhaps even smaller – locations. If there are only a few venues on the tour schedule, this inevitably leads to fans travelling from all over Germany or, in the worst case, the whole world. The carbon footprint increases automatically.
Cooperation with public transport: hurdles and a possible solution
Cooperation with local and long-distance public transport is essential, especially when it comes to travelling to and from venues. But here, too, the implementation of a combined public transport ticket is currently cumbersome. This is due to the decentralised organisation of the transport associations, as the organiser has to speak to the respective transport association individually for a combined ticket.
“One solution that is being promoted by the BDKV, among others, is a kind of ‘1-day Germany ticket’ for all events. Obstacles need to be removed for event organisers in order to simplify the integration of public transport.” Rosa Hoelger, Sustainability Manager at The Changency, Co-Project Manager TICKET TO RIDE
Recommendations for the event industry
- Improve infrastructure: Politicians and transport companies should develop and implement sustainable mobility concepts.
- Intensify communication: Sustainable travel options should be actively communicated and advertised.
- Promote regional travel: Artists* should increasingly give concerts in different regions to avoid long journeys.
- Create safe parking options: secure bicycle parking and organised bus travel should be offered.
“And quite clearly: it won’t work without infrastructure. We need a policy that pursues the transport transition as a serious goal.” Rosa Hoelger, Sustainability Manager at The Changency, Co-Project Manager TICKET TO RIDE
Together for a sustainable future
The project summary is a freely accessible resource that makes it easier to apply the findings. Various stakeholders can make their contribution here: event organisers, booking agencies, artists, ticket providers, venues, transport companies and, last but not least, politicians.
“We are currently working on translating the concept to other types of major events, as there are many more events with large audiences than just music concerts.” Rosa Hoelger, Sustainability Manager at The Changency, Co-Project Manager TICKET TO RIDE
The TICKET TO RIDE project impressively demonstrates how the event industry can be made more sustainable through targeted measures and active collaboration. A well-developed infrastructure and effective communication are crucial for an environmentally friendly journey. By implementing these measures, major events can make a significant contribution to climate protection and increase audience satisfaction at the same time.
You can find out more about the project’s detailed results and recommendations for action on the official TICKET TO RIDE website. Together, the future of the event industry can be shaped sustainably!
Picture: Luan Madh (start picture)
